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Oracle® Database SQL Language Quick Reference
11g Release 1 (11.1)

Part Number B28285-01
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SQL*Plus Commands

SQL*Plus is a command-line tool that provides access to the Oracle RDBMS. SQL*Plus enables you to:

SQL*Plus is available on several platforms. In addition, it has a web-based user interface, iSQL*Plus.

The commands shown in Table A-1 are SQL*Plus commands available in the command-line interface. Not all commands or command parameters are shown.

Table A-1 Basic SQL*Plus Commands

Database Operation SQL*Plus Command

Log in to SQL*Plus

SQLPLUS [ { username[/passward][@connect_identifier] | / }
          [ AS { SYSDBA | SYSOPER } ]
        | /NOLOG
        ]

List help topics available in SQL*Plus

HELP [ INDEX | topic ]

Execute host commands

HOST [ command ]

Show SQL*Plus system variables or environment settings

SHOW { ALL | ERRORS | USER | system_variable [, system_variable] ...}

Alter SQL*Plus system variables or environment settings

SET system_variable value

Start up a database

STARTUP [ PFILE = filename ]
  [ MOUNT [ dbname ] | NOMOUNT ] 

Connect to a database

CONNECT [{username[/password] [@connect_identifier] | /}
           [AS {SYSOPER | SYSDBA}
        |{proxy_user [ username ] 
           [/password] [@connect_identifier]}
        ]

Note: Brackets in boldface are part of the syntax and do not imply optionality.

List column definitions for a table, view, or synonym, or specifications for a function or procedure

DESCRIBE [ schema. ] object

Edit contents of the SQL buffer or a file

EDIT [ filename [ .ext ] ]

Get a file and load its contents into the SQL buffer

GET filename [ .ext ] [ LIST | NOLLIST ]

Save contents of the SQL buffer to a file

SAVE filename [ .ext ] [ CREATE | REPLACE | APPEND ]

List contents of the SQL buffer

LIST [ n | n m | n LAST ]

Delete contents of the SQL buffer

DEL [ n | n m | n LAST ]

Add new lines following current line in the SQL buffer

INPUT [ text ]

Append text to end of current line in the SQL buffer

APPEND text

Find and replace first occurrence of a text string in current line of the SQL buffer

CHANGE sepchar old [ sepchar [ new [ sepchar ] ] ]


sepchar can be any nonalphanumeric ASCII character such as "/" or "!"

Capture query results in a file and, optionally, send contents of file to default printer

SPOOL [ filename [ .ext ]  [ CREATE | REPLACE | APPEND | OFF | OUT ]

Run SQL*Plus statements stored in a file

@ { url | filename [ .ext ] } [ arg ... ]START { url | filename [ .ext ] } [ arg ... ]


ext can be omitted if the filename extension is .sql

Execute commands stored in the SQL buffer

/

List and execute commands stored in the SQL buffer

RUN

Execute a single PL/SQL statement or run a stored procedure

EXECUTE statement

Disconnect from a database

DISCONNECT

Shut down a database

SHUTDOWN [ ABORT | IMMEDIATE | NORMAL ]

Log out of SQL*Plus

{ EXIT | QUIT }  [ SUCCESS | FAILURE | WARNING ]  [ COMMIT | ROLLBACK ]